NC House passes 'Save the Gun' bill

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By Laura Leslie

Raleigh, N.C. — State House lawmakers voted Wednesday to forbid law enforcement officers from destroying fully-operating firearms, even if they were used in a crime.

House Bill 714, "Disposal of Abandoned Firearms," says that, if a firearm is fully functioning and still has a legible identification number, sheriffs and other law enforcement officers cannot destroy it, regardless of its background.

Instead, they would have to sell it at a public auction to a licensed dealer or permit-holder, keep it for department use or training or donate it to a museum or historical society.

Judges would no longer have the authority to order the destruction of a weapon confiscated in a criminal case.